30 APRIL 1927, Page 24

THE LONGEST SHADOW. By Jeffery E. Jeffery. (Heinemann. 7s. 6d.)—The

letter written to Philip Queste by his runaway mother was responsible for most of his troubles. In it she said, "Your own mind's workings are the only realities." But Philip's mind was most extraordinarily muddled. He was extremely tiresome both in business and love, and was unsuccessful as a romantic in search of reality, though one is led to suppose that he found it in the end. Mr. Jeffery has written a good character study of an in. effectual young man, but it is difficult to sympathise with his hero, who really was, as his uncle said, a Quixotic, par- boiled, blithering idiot," even though he was a well-meaning one.